Platinum

So here at work yesterday I had to reinstall WinXP Pro on one of the machines. After installing it, some drivers were missing (video, audio, and NIC). So, I download them all install them, only to find the NIC drivers don't work. Now bare in mind, I couldn't download from the machine I just installed WinXP Pro on because I can't access the internet (the reason for needing NIC drivers obviously). So I had to burn CDs with the drivers on them. So after searching for different drivers, I find them and again, no luck.

At this point there was only 1 driver left, a wireless driver which I obviously do not need so I gave HP a little call. Finally I get someone on the phone from the UK.

Now I'm an American, and his accent was fine, but he was talking so damn fast WITH the accent I couldn't understand him! I felt like a moron, working in the IT dept. of my office and I can't even follow his damn directions! So I sit on the phone with him for awhile. He's telling me to try this, and try that (everything I had already tried). And throughout the call he says "hold on one second please," probably to call his buddy in a nearby cubicle to ask what to do next because he had NO idea... He tells me to download this file, that file, oh and the one that doesn't even support my NIC too. He goes to the Intel site, finds drivers for it, and they still don't work. So finally, my buddy I work with comes over and says "try this CD." I put it in and BAM! It works!!! Go figure! So I ask him where he got them from, and of course... the Intel site!

!!!

So at this point I'm just fed up with this guy on the phone because he doesn't know what he's doing. This is his job people... troubleshooting... and he can't even find a driver! Something that takes 2 minutes, left me on the phone for 2 hours. And his explanation as to why the drivers on the website didn't work: "Our website is under maintainance." Yea... figured as much, just make excuses for your lack of computer knowledge.

Total Phone Time: 2 hours
Total Time (inc. time I spent before I called): 2.5 hours

That's right people... it took 2.5 hours to do something that should normally take...... 2 minutes.

I'm sorry for this rant against HP, but it just frustrated me so much I had to let you all know! And guess what. After that phone call I had to sit on the phone with Brother (manufacturer of some of our printers) because one of our printers had an error we couldn't get rid of. After an hour on the phone with them, I had to hang up because I couldn't sit at the computer connected to the printer (she was in her office, so I couldn't just kick her out).

So... the moral of the story? Tech support...

__________________
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

(______(________________((()
SIG-ARETTE